Dear Faithful,

After four full weeks of beautiful Advent, we have come to that day for which this season was preparing us – the Day of Christmas. In truth however, Christmas is much more than a single day. Like Advent, it too is a season. It begins on December 24 and continues until the feast of the Lord’s Baptism which, this year, is on January 9. Between December 24 and January 8, there is the Christmas Octave, the eight days following the 25. There is also the better known 12 Days of Christmas that conclude on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, which was original Christmas celebration in the Eastern Church.

Dear Parishioners,

This evening on the Fourth Sunday of Advent for Christians, our Jewish brothers and sisters begin their celebration of Hanukkah. This eight day festival of light is determined by the lunar calendar and so occurs at different times each year. In 2022 Hanukkah is observed from the evening of December 18 to the evening of December 26. Although it is a relatively minor holiday according to the official list of Jewish observances, it takes on greater significance, perhaps because of its proximity to Christmas, and also perhaps, because it comes at the darkest time of the year when the natural desire for more sunlight is a universal craving, at least in the northern hemisphere.

Dear Parishioners,

I want to encourage all who are able, to be engaged in this year’s parish wide effort, which I have named - O Come All Ye Faithful. This is an effort designed to fill our church for the Christmas Masses and invite back those parishioners whom we have not seen for some time.

The method that I am proposing for this effort is outlined below.

Dear Parishioners,

In this week’s bulletin you will find the annual parish financial report for 2021-2022. Here at St. Joan of Arc, it has been our custom to provide this report in the season of Advent which begins the church’s new liturgical year. As you study this report, you will see that it reflects the consistent generosity of our parishioners who value our Catholic faith and recognize the privileged responsibility of preserving it for the generations that will follow us.